3rd Apr 2024 • Written by Bruno Collingridge

Player ratings as Crystal Palace fall to a narrow defeat at Bournemouth

Credit: Michael Steele (Getty)

Crystal Palace’s poor record against teams other than Sheffield United or Burnley continued last night as they narrowly lost to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

The latest name added to Palace’s lengthy injury list, Chris Richards, forced Oliver Glasner into playing two natural midfielders in central defence (Jefferson Lerma and David Ozoh) to accommodate the 3-2-2-1 formation he has integrated in his time thus far at the club. The recent extended international break was dedicated to increasing tactical familiarity with this setup and improving Palace’s fitness, but Glasner’s work has seen little reward so far. 

A late goal by Justin Kluivert sealed the victory for the Cherries, despite a hardworking performance from a depleted Palace in harsh conditions.

Here are our player ratings from the match:

Dean Henderson - 7
He may have been criticised in recent times for not meeting expectations or the required level, but Dean Henderson put in a performance worthy of a Premier League goalkeeper. He made multiple necessary saves and showed a higher quality of distribution than in previous showings - especially impressive given the conditions. Palace’s own struggles defending set pieces and the harsh wind meant Henderson was required to punch, rather than catch, on multiple occasions, but he did well at this task. The Englishman was unfortunate not to keep a clean sheet.

Tyrick Mitchell - 5
Continued to adapt to the wing-back role demanded of him in Oliver Glasner’s system. Struggled to find the right pass at times and a lot of potential attacks broke down through him. Needs more time, and will likely play well in the more defensive structure Glasner will adopt to face Manchester City on Saturday.

Jefferson Lerma - 6.5
Played well considering he was filling in at left centre-back as a natural midfielder. Always calm on the ball and was quick and capable at playing out from the back. Palace looked much weaker once he swapped positions with David Ozoh, and he should be the player starting in place of the injured Chris Richards against Manchester City. 

Joachim Andersen - 5.5
Andersen was the only natural centre-back in Palace’s defence, and showed the technical quality that you’d expect from a player of his experience and calibre. However, he was booked for a poor foul and argued with the referee on multiple occasions. The Danish international needs to be careful with his frequent head loss as a suspension would leave Palace with James Tomkins as their only available centre-half.

Joel Ward - 5.5
Ward is a great makeshift centre-back to have in Palace’s squad, but he was arguably the poorest of the three last night. His lack of pace and vision saw him unable to influence the game significantly, and as captain, he wasn’t able to command the balance between defence and midfield, which eventually led to the Bournemouth goal.

Daniel Muñoz - 5.5
A rare quiet performance from Muñoz, who didn’t seem to back himself in a footrace against Dango Ouattara, often preferring to hold his run and pass infield. He didn’t offer any of the attacking influence you’d hope for from a natural wing-back. The Colombian was embarrassed by Kluivert for the Bournemouth goal, ending up on the floor as Palace’s defence imploded.

Will Hughes - 7
A very narrow margin behind Henderson for Player of the Match, Hughes was robust and tenacious in midfield, showing much more drive and attacking intent than in recent performances. He was responsible for the majority of Palace’s counterattacks, however, his overall technical ability and final ball let him down, resulting in frustrating lost chances. His lack of pace and stamina hinders his overall performances, but you can always count on Hughes to give 100%.

Adam Wharton - 6.5
A very quiet performance from Wharton, who played with his usual prowess and maturity. He didn’t stand out for good or bad reasons, but in a game where most of the side was below par, that makes him one of the better performers. The midfielder won the ball in high areas on multiple occasions, but rarely had any options to deliver a killer pass.

Eberechi Eze - 5.5
Had Jean-Philippe Mateta stepped three inches forward, Eze would have finished the game with at least one goal - but that wouldn’t have been enough to paper over a poor game by Eze’s standards. He was clearly Palace’s attacking focal point, but he could not do it on his own, with very little support from the players around him. Harsh to criticise him when he is playing without Michael Olise and a strong midfield below him.

Jordan Ayew - 4.5
Ayew was Palace’s least influential player, and showed poor decision-making as he lost the ball in dangerous positions on multiple occasions. For a player that’s been in such good form this season, he’s dropped off in recent games, and with it, Palace seem to have lost what little cutting edge they possessed in attack. He was rightfully withdrawn after 70 minutes.

Jean-Philippe Mateta - 6.5
Mateta’s performance was generally positive, with his hold-up play perhaps the most technically assured aspect of Crystal Palace’s attack. However, his influence faltered as the game went on - likely a symptom of having played 90 minutes three days prior - and missed a chance that a striker of great quality could have done better with.

David Ozoh (70th minute sub) - 5
Despite having never played as a defender in under-21 or senior football, Ozoh was brought on to play centre-back, allowing Lerma to venture forward into his natural position. However, this tactical decision backfired, with Ozoh’s mistake allowing Semenyo to bully him off the ball, setting up Kluivert’s goal. He seemed to misjudge the speed of the ball he was meant to be shielding. Ozoh stayed relatively quiet from then on.

Jeffrey Schlupp (70th minute sub) - 5
Schlupp had little to no influence on the game, and some fans seemed to want Naoirou Ahamada brought on instead. 

Odsonne Édouard (86th minute sub) - 6
Edouard showed glimpses of quality in attack, and seemed more match sharp than his last spell in the side, despite only just returning from injury. If he can build on his performance yesterday, Glasner could have a much-needed attacking asset with Ayew’s drop-off.

Player of the Match: Dean Henderson 

Yesterday’s match marked a rare occasion where the “eye test” and SofaScore’s Player of the Match award agree. Dean Henderson gave perhaps his calmest performance in a Palace shirt, making the right choices between punching and catching whenever the ball was whipped into the box.

The highlight of his performance was a fantastic save from a point-blank header at 0-0, which was complemented by a total save count of five - his second-highest since joining in the summer. Henderson did everything he could to keep Palace in the game, and was let down by his teammates as they failed to protect his goal or find a finish of their own.

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